Losses and Gains
by ewartFaron
Summary: Childhood tale of Ace (and Luffy), where he gets adopted by the Monkey D. family. Things ensue. Brotherly Acelu. Prequel of but separate from the fic "Boyfriend and Brother".
1. Chapter 1

A young boy lived a quiet life with his sole mother, on an island with not a very high population. His father had died right before he was born, so his mother says. But he did not mind, as his mother was all he needed. They got by each day, with his mother selling flowers and him learning how to do odd jobs. It was a rather peaceful life.

A young boy stood in the middle of the village set ablaze, watching as houses burn and collapse. Screaming and gunshots and crying could be heard, his head was pounding. He could feel his skin being roasted, the smoke so thick it was suffocating. And yet he continued to stand there, unmoving. How could he have the will to continue living, especially after witnessing his very own beloved mother get killed in front of him? No matter how much he yelled and bawled, his mother's dead figure would not respond. He had cried so much he became numb to the pain. And slowly, his consciousness also started to fade.

A young boy, at the mere age of 7, resigned to his fate.

* * *

His eyes were closed, but he could feel himself breathing. He still wasn't quite sure if he was still alive, after all, everything still feels dizzy and dreamlike. He peered open his eyes, flinching at the bright sunlight. He blinked a few times before his eyes got used to the brightness. He saw the sky, which had never seemed more blue. Where was he?

"Oh, you're up?" A deep voice startled him, making him jump up and take a defensive stance. He realised that he was on a boat, which rocked rather violently when he jumped up. Nervously, he glanced up to look at a man, who was the only other person on the boat.

"You don't have to be so uptight," the man chuckled, raising both hands in the air to show that he meant no harm. Still, the boy could not let his guard down.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" The man asked, to which the boy slowly nodded.

"Listen, it's really unfortunate, what happened to your island," the man began. "I've done my best to search through the island for survivors and you're the only one I found."

The boy felt bitterness swelling up within him. Why did this have to happen to his home? Why did this have to happen to his mother? Why did this have to happen to _him_?

The man sighed, "Your island isn't the only one. Several other islands were victim to the whims of… nevermind. Hey kid, do you have anywhere else to go?"

The boy shook his head.

"Then how about you come with me?"

The boy felt trepidation crawling in, hesitating to answer.

"Well, you don't have to answer me now. Just make a decision when we reach the next island. I'll drop you off at the orphanage there if you decide not to come with me."

* * *

The young boy was tense the whole boat ride to the next island. He stared at the man most of the time, eyeing his every action in case he did something suspicious. The man ended up rowing the boat the entire time, though. As they reached the island port, the man tied the boat swiftly. He then picked the young boy up, much to his protest, and stepped out onto the dock. He gently put the boy down and held his hand.

"How about we get something to eat first? You must be starving after all that," the man suggested. The boy didn't want to give in, but his stomach growled so loudly he couldn't even resist.

The man brought him to a diner, and the aroma of food only made his stomach growl even louder. He looked at the menu in front of him, and then at the man.

"Do you know how to read?" The man asked. The boy nodded. "Go ahead, order what you like."

The boy picked up the menu and began pointing every item on it to the waitress. The flustered waitress took down the orders before clumsily returning to the kitchen.

"What a cheeky boy you are! Trying to empty my wallet as soon as you've got the chance, eh?" The boy thought the man would be angry, but instead the man was laughing. "Well, whatever. Eat up, eat more! You're still a growing boy."

Soon, plates of food filled the table and the young boy spared no time in stuffing himself. The man chuckled and picked up his fork as well. As he casually attempted to take a piece of food off a plate, the young boy quickly snatched it and stuffed it in his mouth.

"Why you…!"

A competition erupted; it was a matter of who got to the food first. It was almost like a battle, their forks clinking against the plates and each other, triumph snorts as one manages to get a bite of the food, the next move faster than the last. It wasn't long before all the plates were emptied. Exhausted as the young boy may be, he also felt satisfied with the meal and battle. It was his victory, if he had to say so himself. On the other hand, the man had a palm to his face, scowling, "How can that be enough?"

The man waved to the waitress to order another piece of cake. The boy almost felt bad for taking so much from this man. They barely knew each other and the man was in some way his saviour! Guilt ate away at him as the cake arrived.

The man pushed the cake towards the young boy. "Come on. Don't tell me you're finishing the meal without dessert!" The man teased, handing the boy a clean fork.

The boy looked at the man as he took the fork from him. The man had a smile on his face, despite everything he had done…

_Ah… this man is genuinely a good person._

The young boy couldn't help but burst into tears as he took a bite out of the cake.

"…really good…" the boy said through the tears and cake.

"Oh! You finally spoke!" The man grinned at him. "Ah right, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Dragon, what's yours?"

"…Ace."


	2. Chapter 2

Ace followed Dragon as he booked a room in a nearby inn. Dragon had offered Ace to stay with him for a couple more days before he leaves for another island. Until then, Ace would have to decide whether to go with Dragon or stay and join the island's orphanage. Honestly, Ace still felt traumatised by the tragedy on his homeland, but Dragon's presence somehow managed to calm and comfort him. Still, he had only met the man for a day, and he was hesitant to follow him to god-knows-where.

Despite his doubts, Ace did not complain when Dragon dragged him to the marketplace to get a change of clothes. His current clothes were filthy, soiled with soot and dust, and probably some blood. He had tried to wash them when they were out at sea, but it could only do so much.

They entered a clothing store and were immediately attended by a salesperson. Dragon asked for kids' clothing that could fit Ace and soon there was a stack of clothes in front of them.

"Go ahead, pick whatever you like." Dragon nodded to Ace.

Ace rummaged through the stack and pulled out a red tank top and a pair of brown shorts. He turned to see Dragon chuckling. What, his fashion taste wasn't that bad!

"No, sorry, it's just that you remind me of my own son," Dragon laughed.

Ace gawked at the man. He felt his chest tighten just a little bit.

So he had a son…

* * *

They quickly left the clothing store after the purchase of several pieces of clothes. Dragon took the bags and Ace tagged along behind as they made their way through the busy marketplace. The wooden stalls decorated with colourful banners and labels, displaying a variety of items from groceries to toys, the shopkeepers calling out to people and customers attempting to bargain, everything was so similar to the market back on Ace's homeland.

Ace's eyes met a basket of flowers on one of the booth's tables. Bright red hibiscus flowers, freshly picked, just like the ones his mother…

It was almost as if he was back on his homeland, as if the tragedy didn't happen, as if it were still yesterday. As if everyone he knew were still alive, as if_ his_ _mother_ was still alive. Everything happened so fast, the tragedy flashed past like it could just be a very bad nightmare. Oh, how he wished this was just a nightmare, how he wished he would just wake up any time soon. Maybe then this feeling of suffocation would end, maybe then his body wouldn't feel so terrible.

He felt a warm hand pat his head. He rubbed away the tears that started to cloud his eyes and looked up at the man who saved him.

"You okay there?" Dragon asked quietly, shielding Ace from the stares of passers-by.

Ace grunted as he buried his face into Dragon's cloak, hiding his tears.

They stood there for a minute or two before Ace pulled away, tears wiped dry.

"Those hibiscus flowers, my mother used to sell them," Ace said, averting eye contact with the man.

"You really love your mother, huh?" Dragon ruffled Ace's hair. Ace nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry," Dragon whispered so quietly that Ace couldn't really make out what it was, but he didn't feel like asking further.

* * *

Dragon brought Ace back to the inn to rest before leaving for his other businesses on the island. Left alone, Ace took a shower to calm himself down. He put on the fresh clothes and jumped onto the bed, pulling the blanket over himself. His head was still hurting but he didn't feel like he was choking anymore.

"What should I do now…" Ace wondered aloud, contemplating life. He used to think when he grew up he would get a job and make his mother happy; that was his only goal in life. But now his mother is gone, along with his dreams and his home. He was slowly accepting reality but was at a loss for how to face it. Thoughts flowed in and out, and as seconds ticked by, he felt his eyelids grow heavier. Maybe he'll take a nap and think about everything later-

Suddenly, the door slammed open, jolting Ace awake.

"Oh, sorry, sorry," Dragon apologized as he closed the door behind him.

"Where'd you go?" Ace mumbled, rubbing his bleary eyes.

Dragon smiled and beckoned Ace to follow him. Without a second thought, Ace got off the bed and trudged towards the man. He took Ace's hand and without a word, led him out of the inn and towards the outskirts of the town.

There, on a grassy plain near the sea, lay a grave with a wooden tombstone. It wasn't exactly the best, but one could tell it had been made carefully. At the bottom of the tombstone, Ace spotted a bouquet of hibiscus flowers, just like the ones he saw earlier. Was this for his mother…?

"This was the best I could do for now," Dragon explained sheepishly. "Hope it suffices."

Kneeling down, Ace made a prayer for his deceased mother, as well as the other victims of the tragedy. Dragon watched over him in silence, until he was done.

"Thank you," Ace whispered.

"Y'know, I've spoken to the director of the orphanage and they're ready to welcome you. You might need to share your room with other children, but it isn't so bad. The food's pretty good and they provide education, plus you'd get to come visit the grave whenev-"

"I want to go with you." There was no wavering in his decision anymore.

"Hm?"

"I'm not staying on this island. I'm going with you, mister Dragon."


End file.
